Finally Closed The Deal!!

Senior Member

Been getting reservations and fishing at Smithgall Woods for the past three years. My son has been out of the country for the last year with a Fullbright Scholarship overseas. I scheduled our first to Dukes Creek back in October when I knew we could go together. I have had several hook ups with a Dukes Monster, but they are very adept at getting free due to downstream runs or hanging you on a limb or root. Saturday morning first thing we could see a big trout holding in a run. We proceeded to take turns running different flies through the run to get the one they wanted. While my son was tieing on another pair I told him "Hooked Up." To say it was a fair fight would be presumptuous as the big trout pretty much went where she wanted to go while I hung on with my 3 weight. Several times she went under a tree and I tried to keep my line flat so she could not rub me off. I was finally hung by my tag line on a root and I just kept the pressure up. She finally broke the tag and swam free so it was on again. After a short downstream run and an upstream run my arm was about to fall off from holding the pressure on a doubled over rod. My son was finally able to net her by the head and the celebration was on. My best rainbow to date taped at 25 inches and 16 1/4 inches of girth. This will probably be my biggest rainbow of 2018?

Senior Member

Senior Member

It won't be your biggest of 2018 if you keep fishing Dukes!! Dukes is slap full of nice fish. She's rebounding nicely after the last couple of years. And you are right. Those fish can run you all over the stream and make you feel hopeless sometimes. I'm glad you got on some good ones! The soft hackle seems to have become a staple fly there over the last several years. If it has become a staple, that means something. Means it's a good fly!!!
How do you like the Grey's? I've been eyeballing those and the BVK's for a long time. Really wanting a better long rod for tight lining.
Good work on a slab of a fish. She's a beaut!!

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